After my death our beloved Church abroad will break three ways ... first the Greeks will leave us as they were never a part of us ... then those who live for this world and its glory will go to Moscow ... what will remain will be those souls faithful to Christ and His Church.~St. Philaret of NY

Bitter Fruits of the ROCOR-MP Union

THE BITTER FRUITS OF THE UNION OF THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH ABROAD AND THE MOSCOW PATRIARCHATE

In 1983 the Russian Church Abroad under the leadership of His Eminence Metropolitan Philaret (whom the ROCA glorified in 2008) anathematized the heresy of ecumenism.

In 2012 the ROCA MP filed a lawsuit against the parish of the Protection of the Mother of God in Buena, N.J., during the course of which bishop Gabriel was asked: Is it true that in 1983 the ROCA anathematized ecumenism? To this bishop Gabriel replied that if one refers to the document entitled “Act of Canonical Communion” it states that “previously issued acts which impede the fullness of canonical communion are deemed to be invalid or have expired” (point 13). It is strange to hear such words from a hierarch of the Orthodox Church. For when the Church anathematizes a certain heresy, this is for eternity and no hierarchs can annul this anathema, particularly the Moscow Patriarchate which is actively involved in ecumenism. For example when the Orthodox Church anathematized the heretic Arius, he personally was not able to lift that anathema.

Since the ROCA united with the Moscow Patriarchate and in its services commemorates as its lord and Father the most holy patriarch of Moscow and all Russia, hence it also has fallen under this anathema. And as we read in the prayers before confession the words, “has fallen under one’s own anathema”.

When the first commission was formed in 2004 for dialogue between the Church Abroad and the Moscow Patriarchate many among the ROCA flock reacted with great caution to this, knowing that the Moscow Patriarchate participates actively in the ecumenical movement. Likewise, the issue of sergianism is no less important for the ROCA faithful. But the ROCA hierarchs assured us that they would work on the Moscow Patriarchate from the inside. In other words, they would actively oppose the heresy of ecumenism and sergianism. But they did not keep their promise.

It is interesting that in 2013 the Moscow Patriarchate decanonized dozens of the confessors and new martyrs of Russia and none of the hierarchs or clergy of the ROCA MP voiced objection to this action except for Protopriest Vladimir Malchenko from Toronto (a fellow classmate of mine from seminary) who wrote a letter in defense of the decanonized new martyrs of Russia.

Another interesting fact is that at the pre-sobor meetings in Shambeze (10-17 October, 2015 and 21-28 January, 2016 a document entitled “Relations of the Orthodox Church with the rest of the Christian World” was developed and which was subsequently ratified at the Hierarchical Sobor of the ROC MP in February, 2016. There is no information as to whether even a single hierarch of the ROCA MP at this Sobor expressed opposition to this document.

“The announcement of the forthcoming meeting of the most holy Patriarch Kyrill with Pope Francis of Rome” according to the words of Protopriest Alexander Lebedev (Secretary of Inter-orthodox relations of the Synod of Bishops of the ROCA MP) “was received by the clergy and faithful of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad completely calmly” which also eloquently bears witness to the real attitude of the higher clergy and members of the ROCA MP toward ecumenism.

Where is the active resistance from inside which the ROCA MP hierarchs promised us? Can we then assert that the ROCA MP has become that very yeast which, according to the words of Archbishop Mark (Arndt) should be leaven for the dough of the Moscow Patriarchate?

The hierarchs of the ROCA always openly and freely spoke out and wrote in defense of Orthodoxy and their voices were heard by the entire Orthodox world. Examples of how our hierarchs abroad defended the faith were: Metropolitan Anthony, Metropolitan Anastasy, the Holy Hierarch Metropolitan Philaret, Metropolitan Vitaly, Archbishop Averky (Taushev), Holy Hierarch Archbishop John of Shanghai and many others. If the current hierarchs of the ROCA MP are themselves a part of the ecumenical community and speak out against certain of its decisions, then their voices no longer have the former freedom and power, do not sound convincing and are not capable of changing anything. The impression being created is that the purpose of these statements is not to resist ecumenical innovations, but the aim in resorting to demonstrations of “control over the situation”, is to lull the vigilance of their own flock, among which there are still many people who are not indifferent toward the future of the Church Abroad and Holy Orthodoxy.

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THE SISTER CHURCHES

The True Orthodox Churches of Romania, and Bulgaria, and with the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, and with the Synod in Resistance, are called by the Grace of the Lord to coexist in Mysteriological communion.

from §4 of “Schedule of Steps in the Union Process” Feb. 2014

VL AGAFANGEL PRAYER

Lord Jesus Christ, Holy Theotokos and all the Saints: keep our souls unharmed from the destructive influences of globalism, ecumenism, and sergianism, and give all of us the strength to endure the latest onset of persecution of the Church of Christ. Amen

QUOTE

"I have taken you in my arms, and I love you, and I prefer you to my life itself. For the present life is nothing, and my most ardent dream is to spend it with you... I place your love above all things, and nothing would be more bitter or painful to me than to be of a different mind than you.”

St. John Chrysostom

QUOTE

"If we have a good priest (or bishop), we give thanks to God. If a bad one, we endure him".

- old Russian saying

QUOTE

"And here is something to which I would like to draw your attention to – something about which very many do not think about. Father Archimandrite Constantine, whom probably many of you know, the reposed editor of the journal “Orthodox Rus’”, a profound Christian mind, considered that the most terrible among all the achievements of the communists was that the communists created their own false-church, a soviet church which they shoved onto the unfortunate people in place of the genuine Church which went underground into the catacombs. Do not think that I am exaggerating or that Father Constantine was exaggerating!

Once, in the year 1918, a Pan-Russian Church Council was held. At this Council, the entire Pan-Russian Church together with its first holy hierarch, Patriarch Tikhon anathematized, excommunicated from the Church not only the theomachists and godless ones themselves, but also all those who would collaborate with them."

~St. Philaret of NY

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"To the Russians abroad, it has been granted to shine in the whole world with the light of Orthodoxy, so that other peoples, seeing their good deeds, might glorify our Father Who is in heaven, and thus obtain salvation for themselves. But if it does not perform this purpose and even abases Orthodoxy by its life, the Diaspora will have before itself two paths: either to be converted to the path of repentance, having acquired forgiveness through prayer to God and being reborn spiritually and to being capable of giving rebirth to our suffering homeland; or else being rejected by God and remaining in banishment, persecuted by everyone, until gradually it will degenerate and disappear from the face of the earth."

from Vladika John's report to the All-Diaspora Sobor in 1938

QUOTE

The apostasy of our times, to a degree unique in Christian history, is proceeding not primarily by false teachings or canonical deviations, but rather by a false understanding of Orthodoxy on the part of those who may even be perfectly Orthodox in their dogmatic teaching and canonical situation. A correct "Orthodoxy" deprived of the Spirit of true Christianity—this is the meaning of Sergianism, and it cannot be fought by calling it a "heresy," which it is not, nor by detailing its canonical irregularities, which are only incidental to something much more important.

- Russia's Catacomb Saints

QUOTE

Let it not be thought, however, that I affirm that it is necessary to prize every peace. For I know that there is a splendid disagreement and the most destructive unanimity. Yet one must love a good peace which has a good purpose: unity with God.

-St. Gregory the Theologian

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... To pious Christians the fact that the world has fallen into godlessness is to them obvious, and they are ready to see it as an unfortunate historical inevitability ...

Professor Viktor Trostinkov

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If you want to have assurance that you are saved, repent now that you are young and healthy and it is manifest that you left sin while you were still able to sin. But if you persevere in sin into your old age, why then you did not leave sin, but rather sin left you.

St. Nicodemus of the Holy Mountain

QUOTE

Live in peace not only with your friends, but also with your enemies; but only your personal enemies, and not the enemies of God.

St. Theodosius of the Kiev Caves

QUOTE

Judge not according to appearances, but judge righteous judgment.

St. John 7:24

QUOTE

"If Russia is not ressurrected, a new Golgotha threatens the whole world."

Priest Vladimir Evsukoff 1980†

QUOTE

A man who does not express a desire to link himself to the latest of the saints (in time) in all love and humility owing to a certain distrust in himself, will never be linked to the preceding saints and will not be admitted to their succession, even though he thinks he possesses all possible faith and love for God and for all His saints. He will be cast out of their midst, as one who refused to take humbly the place allotted to him by God before all time, and to link himself to that latest saint (in time) as God had disposed.

St. Symeon the New Theologian

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SCOBA, to which world orthodoxy gives such great significance, reproaching us for not belonging to it, actually is in no way a canonical organ. The Russian Church Outside of Russia was invited to take part in these conferences; however, our Church refused to send representatives there after clergy of the Moscow Patriarchate were invited. "We never and nowhere will sit at one table with them; by this our spiritual communion with the Universal Church is not broken."

Archpriest George Grabbe 1969

QUOTE

"Let us always thank the Lord that we are in the Holy Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, which throughout the 80 years of its existence has trodden the straight, royal path of God, without ever turning aside and losing its way."

QUOTE

The passions lying hidden in the soul provide the demons with the means of arousing impassioned thoughts in us. Then, fighting the intellect through these thoughts, they force it to give its assent to sin. When it has been overcome, they lead it to sin in the mind; and when this has been done they induce it, captive as it is, to commit the sin in action. Having thus desolated the soul by means of these thoughts, the demons then retreat, taking the thoughts with them, and only the spectre or idol of sin remains in the intellect. Referring to this our Lord says, 'When you see the abominable idol of desolation standing in the holy place (let him who reads understand)... (Matt 24:15). For man's intellect is a holy place and a temple of God in which the demons, having desolated the soul by impassioned thoughts, set up the idol of sin. That these things have already taken place in history no one, I think, who has read Josephus will doubt; though some say that they will also come to pass in the time of the Antichrist.

Philokalia

QUOTE

There are three things that impel us towards what is holy: natural instincts, angelic powers, and probity of intention. Natural instincts impel us, when, for example, we do to others what we would wish them to do to us (cf. Luke 6:31), or when we see someone suffering deprivation or in need and naturally feel compassion. Angelic powers impel us when, being ourselves impelled to something worthwhile, we find we are providentially helped and guided. We are impelled by probity of intention when, discriminating between good and evil, we choose the good.

Philokalia

QUOTE

The outward Gospel of social idealism is a symptom of loss of faith.

Fr. Seraphim Rose

QUOTE

Impurity of intellect consists first in having false knowledge, ...

Philokalia

QUOTE

Isn't Marx really the third of a trio with Darwin and Freud as a practical source in the war against revealed truth?

Fr. Seraphim Rose

Letters, 1972

QUOTE

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To: ROCA members from the MP

"You have to understand that you have long been in a false church, which implants in its members' souls, a false spirituality, which in turn takes root and grows stronger and stronger, the longer a man stays in it."

Bishop Athanasius, 2014

QUOTE

Mankind has gone mad, and we see with horror the abyss into which it is being drawn. Let us lay aside every worldly care, and let us fall down in prayer and readiness for the dread Judgment of the Lord. Death will not come with bombs and poisons. Death has already come and take up residence with us and in us, and has made corpses of us, Mammon has overwhelmed this sinful world, which is dominated by Queen Science, Lucifer himself, which with one hand makes medicines and machines for man's foolish happiness and with the other terrorizes him by means of the bomb! Such is the sorry state of knowledge and the agony of the world through and through. Let us lift up our hearts.

-Photios Kontoglou (†1965) letter to Dr. Cavarnos dated 5/10/57

QUOTE

"Psychopaths are a superior subspecies. We transcend humanity. We are Nature's Supermen. We deserve the subservience and availability of everyone around us. Luckily, every year 100-million people are born throughout the world. We have 100-million new choices every year."

-Sam Vaknin, self-realized psychopath

QUOTE

Our Saviour placed the Church in the world in order to save the world, and Satan is always trying to place the world into the Church in order to destroy the Church.

attributed to Desert Fathers

QUOTE

"If you see lying and hypocrisy, expose them in front of all, even if they are clothed inpurple and fine linen."

Metropolitan Anastasy (Gribanovsky) of New York (1906)

HALL OF SHAME

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